"If you live in the Midwest, where else to do you want to live besides Chicago?" Moore said in the video, taken at an event held by the Libertarian think tank The Heartland Institute as Moore promoted a book.

"You don't want to live in Cincinnati or Cleveland or, you know, these armpits of America. You want to live in Chicago."

The crowd laughed.

Ohio's senior senator, Sen. Sherrod Brown, didn't find it as funny.

The Cleveland Democrat sent a letter Tuesday to Moore demanding an apology and a retraction.

"You didn’t just insult Cleveland and Cincinnati – you dismissed millions of Americans who work and live in small towns and cities across the industrial heartland, and who have been looked down on and left behind by Washington and Wall Street for decades," Brown wrote.

Brown went on to boast about Cincinnati's economy, highlighting Procter & Gamble, Kroger and General Electric Aviation, presumably evidence that if Cincinnati were a part of the body, it wouldn't be an armpit.

Brown also brought to Moore's attention the Underground Railroad and Cincinnati's role as a refuge for slaves before the Civil War, as well as Cincinnati's status as the birthplace of professional baseball and Reform Judaism.

Brown said this comment disqualifies Moore for the Federal Reserve Board. Brown asked Moore to provide a list of other Midwest towns he believe are armpits of America.

"On behalf of the people of Ohio, the Midwest, and every community that has been looked down on and disparaged by Washington and Wall Street, I demand an apology and I demand that you publically retract your statement," Brown concluded his letter.

Since Trump tapped Moore as a pick for the Federal Reserve Board, Moore has faced heat for other past comments about women and his lack of faith in the American government.

"Capitalism is a lot more important than democracy," Moore said during an interview in Michael Moore's 2009 documentary, "Capitalism: A Love Story."

Moore evidently also has had some controversial opinions on women athletes and broadcasters. He wrote in a 2001 column he has "ground rules" for his wife to follow during the NCAA tournament, such as not being allowed to talk to him.

A year later, he also called female referees in basketball "outrageous" and "an obscenity."

The White House declined comment when asked for a response by The Enquirer.

Ohio's other senator, Republican Rob Portman, hasn't said where he stands on Moore. His spokesman, Kevin Smith, described Moore's comments about Ohio as a bad joke.

“If Stephen Moore meant that as a joke it was a bad one," Moore said. "If the president nominates him, Rob will carefully review his record and qualifications for the role.”

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Sherrod Brown is a possible Democratic presidential candidate. Who is he?
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